Birchen Chocolate Orpingtons

[Juther]

I’ve been thinking of crosses I can do with my existing flock. I would like to make a Birchen Chocolate Orpington but I really can’t figure out the Kippen calculator on them. I want the chocolate color to be retained. Should I breed to blue or black?

 

[nicalandia]

I’ve been thinking of crosses I can do with my existing flock. I would like to make a Birchen Chocolate Orpington but I really can’t figure out the Kippen calculator on them. I want the chocolate color to be retained. Should I breed to blue or black?

First we need to know if you have the Chocolate gene on your orps? How about Birche?

 

[Juther]

First we need to know if you have the Chocolate gene on your orps? How about Birche?

I would assume the orps have the chocolate gene since they are chocolate but I dont know if they are split to anything. I have black birchens and also black/blue/splash birchens

 

[Juther]

First we need to know if you have the Chocolate gene on your orps? How about Birche?

I dont know if the chocolate orps are split to black or not

 

[nicalandia]

I would assume the orps have the chocolate gene since they are chocolate but I dont know if they are split to anything. I have black birchens and also black/blue/splash birchens

They could also be heterozygous for the Dun gene(I^d/i+) and look chocolate, the only way to find out is to cross a rooster to a Birchen hen and see what you get, if all of the females are chocolate but none of the males, that means you have recessive chocolate

 

[Juther]

They could also be heterozygous for the Dun gene(I^d/i+) and look chocolate, the only way to find out is to cross a rooster to a Birchen hen and see what you get, if all of the females are chocolate but none of the males, that means you have recessive chocolate

Okay, let me investigate the chocolate gene I have. Would you cross with blue or black birchen?

 

[nicalandia]

Unless you would like to create Mauve instead of chocolate, don't introduce the blue gene

 

[Gray Farms]

Unless you would like to create Mauve instead of chocolate, don't introduce the blue gene

Agreed, breed to black. Also to keep the Birchen pattern strong you need to breed to Columbian now and then.

 

[nicalandia]

Agreed, breed to black. Also to keep the Birchen pattern strong you need to breed to Columbian now and then.

I agree that adding Columbian to a heterozygous black line E/ER will produce Birchen type birds, but it's really not the path to take as clean ER/ER can be had without Columbian

 

[Gray Farms]

I breed my Birchens to Columbian every few years. It seems to really improve the Birchen pattern in my birds.